In the medical field of electrosurgery and electrical monitoring of body functions, it is necessary to provide a return electrode, attached to the patient's body and providing a return path by means of which electrical current returns from the patient. Such a return electrode, commonly consists of a pad adhered, strapped or otherwise affixed to the patient's body. It has an electrical terminal protruding outwardly from the pad, away from the patient's body, to which the cable is to be attached in electrically conducting manner. Whilst the cable should be removable from the electrode when required, since the electrode is normally a disposable item, it is important that accidental disconnection be avoided, particularly during an electrosurgical operation.
It is common and convenient to provide stud terminals on such body electrodes. By a stud terminal as referred to herein is meant an electrically conductive terminal having a short shank and an enlarged, generally cylindrical head on the shank remote from the electrode. Such stud terminals are electrically connected to the electrode, but are integral, generally rigid formations protruding from the pad to a short extent.
Previous attempts to provide cable connectors for this purpose have suffered from one or more disadvantages. Many of them have been susceptible to accidental disconnection, e.g. by a person interfering with the cable to which it is connected. Others have included a combined locking means and electrical connector to lock the connector rigidly to the stud fastener, but these have tended to be subject to wear on repeated use, with consequent deterioration of the quality of the electrical contact formed. Still others have been satisfactory for use only with one given size of stud fastener, and have allowed no latitude for size discrepancies of the head of the fastener.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cable connector for use with stud fasteners.